HOW TO FIND FREE LEGAL INFORMATION
Attempts
at settlement give the parties to a dispute an opportunity to examine the
relative strengths and weaknesses of their positions. The key to this process is preparedness.
To operate from a maximized position of strength, a person must be well
informed. So the first-best advice
is to be prepared.
The only logical way to approach the negotiation or court processes is
with a clear understanding of your legal rights and responsibilities.
Aside
from representation, the service that a lawyer provides is that of a supplier of
information. To a great extent, it
is the perceived value of such information that accounts for the high cost of
legal services. Fortunately, much
of the same information that is available to attorneys is also available to the
general public – for free.
Of
course, I would be remiss if I did not provide the reader of this article with a
warning. Gathering information is a
simple matter when contrasted to the proper application of the information
gleaned. Because of the sheer
volume of available information, there will be much more that does not apply to
your situation than that which does. The
ability to analyze information, therefore, to keep the relevant while weeding
out the irrelevant, is a prerequisite to effective research.
While there have long been fee based internet resources such as West and Lexis, California case law could not be found on the web. FindLaw recently changed that, by offering free California cases dating back to 1934.
To
date, citators
(used to test the continued validity of a case upon which you intend to rely),
and annotated codes seem to be the only exceptions to free availability on the
internet. Through other resources,
however, even these may be obtained for free.
Many cities have their Municipal Codes available online, and your city library may carry a set of annotated codes.
But
for more in depth research, there is no better resource than a good law library.
The Los Angeles Law Library is
among the best in the area. Courthouses
and many law schools also have libraries accessible to the public.
A legal encyclopedia, like Cal Jur 4th, will provide a general
overview of a topic, and refer to relevant statutes, codes, and cases.
Jury
instructions are also a very useful tool. Generally,
all accusations must be proved. This principle requires that an accusation be defined, and
broken down into its constituent elements.
Like a recipe, jury instructions list the “ingredients” of a cause of
action. As the name implies, these
are the same instructions that a judge reads to a jury when instructing the
members as to their decision-making process. "CALJIC"
and "BAJI" are probably the most popular, and the librarian can tell you
where they are located.
The
various Bar Associations offer free or low cost referral services.
These can assist a person in locating attorneys who practice specific
areas of law. The Los
Angeles County Bar offers an elaborate system of recorded messages which may be accessed telephonically.
This “Lawyer Referral and Information Service” covers several
categories of law and even offers free brochures.
Check the front portion of your phone directory, or call the LACBA for
information. Many telephone
directories also contain “community services” listings.
These often have a “legal services” section, listing the numbers of
various legal aid societies.
Finally,
some lawyers offer free consultations. Time
is usually limited though, so be concise, and be prepared.
©John M. FitzGerald, 2000